As a passionate mystery enthusiast, I've assembled a selection of my top contemporary series to stream from different corners of the world, including Italy, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and New Zealand. These captivating narratives seamlessly blend relatable women who maneuver through complex personal lives while untangling elaborate mysteries, set against the backdrop of breathtaking landscapes. Each in its way melds romance with crime for an unparalleled combination of intense plots and charming characters. With the emergence of new European channels like MHZ and Walter Presents, on Roku and PBS Passport, we are able to find a variety of quality programming.
*The Sandhamn Murders Sweden MHZ
In this Nordic series based on the popular novels of Viveca Sten, a female lawyer is determined to solve a mysterious island murder, beautifully filmed on the outer Stockholm archipelago. click here
*Candice Renoir France ACORN
This French crime/drama series centers on a recently divorced former police captain as she returns to work after taking time off to raise her four children. Often patronized by fellow officers for her sense of style and unorthodox methods, she uses her keen instincts to solve even the most complex crimes. click here
*Camilla Läckberg's Fjällbacka Murders Sweden MHZ
is a Swedish mystery series based on novels of the same name and follows a female detective as she investigates murders in a tranquil fishing village. click here
*Dicte Denmark MHZ / PBS Passport
This is a Danish crime/drama series that follows rogue investigative journalist, Dicte Svendsen, as she attempts to keep her life in balance while being a single parent and following challenging cases. click here
* Magpie Murders England PBS Passport
A famous author in the midst of finishing his most recent mystery goes silent. His long-time editor
sets off to the countryside to investigate, only to find that he is dead under suspicious circumstances
and the last chapter of his unfinished long-awaited manuscript is missing. A novel that is set
to save the business and make millions. click here
*The Law According to Lidia Poët Italy NETFLIX
This is based on the true story of Lidia Poët, Italy's first female lawyer. Forbidden from
practicing law, she secretly solves mysteries while she prepares an appeal to
overturn the court's decision.
*Agathe Koltès France /Belgium PBS Passport
In this French detective story, Agathe is a very successful detective who is alienated from her family and returns home to a small town in coastal France to try to reconnect with her daughter and grandchildren. Everything is complicated by a caustic relationship with her detective daughter who happens to be her boss, a fact they try to keep secret from their colleagues. click here
*Agatha Raisin England ACORN
Seeking a change of scenery, Agatha leaves her thriving London PR business to relocate to a sleepy village in the Cotswolds. Her less-than-subtle personality and over-the-top wardrobe leave an indelible mark on the locals as they are swept into her crime-solving web. click here
*Munch France PBS Passport
Gabrielle Munchovski, knows no boundaries when it comes to defending her clients. In this off-beat series, she heads up a law firm with a fiercely loyal team that doesn't always play by the rules, but they get the results by championing clients who are underserved by the legal system while balancing complex personal lives. click here
*Alexandra Ehle France MHZ
Alexandra is the coroner in Bordeaux and a forensic scientist known for her methods and eccentricities, as she conducts her own investigations to the frustration of the police commander. click here
*Signora Volpe England /Italy ACORN
Emilia Fox stars in this stylish Italian murder mystery as a disillusioned British spy who travels to a sleepy Umbrian village for her niece's wedding. While there she buys a rundown property and decides to stay to be near her family and reclaim her life, only to become swept up in a series of mysteries. click here
*Madame Blanc Mysteries England /France ACORN
Antique expert Sally White travels to France when her husband is in a fatal accident, or was it? This provides the first mystery for her to solve. She remains in the small French village to consult with the local police chief on a series of investigations. A quirky group of British ex-pat friends and great scenery provide the backdrop for this series. click here
*Astrid France PBS Passport
In this very unique series, Detective Raphaëlle Coste enlists the help of Astrid, a young woman with Aubergers, who works in the archives of the Judicial Police. She has incredible observation skills and memory and uses her abilities to solve complex mysteries that have remained unsolved. click here
*Imma Tataranni Italy MHZ
is an Italian detective drama starring a female investigator with a unique approach to crime-solving
and fashion. She is a force to be reckoned with as she solves murders in a small Italian town while
keeping her family together. click here
*Murder is My Life Aus/ NZ ACORN
Widowed, retired police detective and bread-baking aficionado Alexa Crowe is approached
to become a consultant on cold cases. Assisted by a very clever and witty computer hacker,
the team can unravel even the most confusing cases. This humorous series set in Australia
and then relocated to her native New Zealand, stars Lucy Lawless. click here
*Bright Eyed Revenge France PBS Passport
Ten years after surviving a car accident in which the rest of her family was murdered, Olivia Alessandri
returns to the French Riviera with a new identity and a single purpose: unraveling the mystery
and the people behind the event. click here
*Olivia France PBS Passport
In this sequel to Bright Eyed Revenge, Olivia Alessandri, after finding the truth and having
reconciled the tragic loss of her family, opens a law firm to defend lost cases and
bring justice to others. click here
*Spring Tide Sweden MHZ
This is an intriguing Swedish crime/drama series that follows police trainee Ellen Asaki as she attempts to solve a mysterious case with the help of a homeless former detective who once was her father's partner. It is set in a small coastal Swedish town with hidden secrets of past generations. click here
*Miss Fisher Australia ACORN
This is an Australian period drama/crime series revolving around free-spirited female detective Phryne Fisher as she solves mysteries with her sharp wit and her unique sense of style. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Jazz era Melbourne, while dressed to impress! click here
*The Good Apprentice Italy PBS Passport
This Italian offbeat romantic crime comedy is a bit on the lighter side. Alice Allevi, a medical student, is very serious about her studies and solving mysteries while juggling the sexual politics of the time and a cast of characters. When she decides to study forensic medicine, the fun begins. click here
*Modus Sweden MHZ
In the intense thriller, profiler and Psychologist Inger Vik is drawn into a case close to her family when her autistic daughter witnesses a murder in a hotel they are staying at during Christmas. As they become targets, she has to unravel the truth while also protecting her daughter. click here
*The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency UK/Botswana HBO Max
When her beloved father passes away, she sells the cattle she inherited to start a business. In this charming series based on the popular books by Alexander McCall Smith, Mma Precious Ramotswe opens the country's first female detective agency. Filled with a big heart, and lots of red bush tea, she takes on even the smallest cases in her remote small village. click here
*Recipes for Love and Murder South Africa ACORN
This dark comedy mystery television series is based on the novels by Sally Andrew. When a woman who wrote to recipe/advice columnist Tannie Maria turns up dead, Maria and her colleague are determined to solve the murder in their small South African town. As it turns out there will be many more mysteries and many more delicious recipes in this series. click here
*Harry Wild Ireland ACORN
A recently retired English professor relocates to Ireland to be near her son and constantly finds herself drawn into mysteries that compete with her son the local Police inspector, which does not go down well. A lively plot and a colorful cast of characters are led by veteran actress Jane Seymour, in this lighthearted mystery series. click here
*Miss Scarlett and the Duke England PBS Passport
Inheriting an agency from her father, she becomes the first female detective in London, much to the chagrin of her friend the local Police Inspector. Along with a loyal group of characters she succeeds in finding the answers to difficult cases that often go ignored by Scotland Yard by using her instincts and sharp observation skills. click here
I recommend Roku
for streaming and the variety of channels.
BOOKS & VIDEOS
*Camilla Läckberg's Fjällbacka Murders
by Camilla Läckberg click here
*The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
by Alexander McCall Smith click here
*The Sandhamn Murders
by Viveca Sten click here
*Recipes for Love and Murder
by Sally Andrew click here
